Labour Minister 'in campaign for Obama' sparks diplomatic row

Saturday 23 February 2008 23:52 BST

An ambitious minister once tipped to be Britain's first black Prime Minister is being blamed for sparking a diplomatic row over the US Presidential election.

Senior Foreign Office officials claim David Lammy, hailed by some as "a British Obama", is linked to furiously denied reports last week of panic in Downing Street over the prospect of Barack Obama beating Hillary Clinton.

The reports coincided with junior education minister Mr Lammy, 35, joining Mr Obama on his campaign trail for the Democratic nomination – a trip which neither the British Embassy nor Mr Lammy's own department knew about.

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His man in London: Barack Obama and junior Minister David Lammy

It was a private visit but eyebrows were raised in Whitehall because of the unwritten rule that Ministers should not endorse candidates in foreign elections.

His trip coincided with a newspaper article describing Mr Lammy as an "intermediary" who has tried to build closer relations between Gordon Brown and Mr Obama.

It claimed Downing Street was regretting its "arms length" approach to Mr Obama before the campaign started.

A diplomatic source said Mr Lammy's visit had caused anger.

"People are pointing the finger at Lammy for inspiring these reports. It is embarrassing – and untrue – to say Downing Street is worried about being frozen out by an Obama White House."

Tottenham MP Mr Lammy met Mr Obama at a party in 2005 for fellow graduates of Harvard Law School.

He has been called Mr Obama's "point man" in London, and has frequently paid tribute to the Democratic front-runner.

Last month Mr Lammy wrote of Mr Obama as "charming and intelligent but refreshingly able to laugh at himself".